I have been gone so long that I'm afraid to slink back here... but I recieved an oh-so-sweet message asking me where I've gone, and it motivated me!!!
I'm here. I'm good. This morning? I'm GREAT! Life has been throwing a lot of curveballs at me, and I've been ducking and weaving a lot lately.
Scale this morning? 203. That SOUNDS amazing, like I've lost a little since my New Orleans trip... but really, a month ago, the scale said 196. And then I binged.
BUT, you have to suck it up when you fail and move on. And so I have. I'm watching what I eat; eating less meat, as I've figured out that it really irritates my IBS. I've been visiting the YMCA on a pretty regular basis. Zumba, kickboxing, spinning, what WHAT!
Also, I've switched jobs! I now work for a major hospital, doing ... ya know... office work. But it's an amazing place, I make more money, and I now work later; which means I can get my butt into the gym before work. This morning was the first time I did that, and I feel like superwoman.
Husband is in the planning stages of finishing his degree this year and then most likely enlisting in the army. Insane, huh? In a good way. And a scary way. It's been a long, involved process for us to decide that it's whats right for us right now, but we've decided to move forward. Now, he just has to secure an internship for school before he's willing to sign the military paperwork. *EEEKKK!!!!!*
I'll post more in the next few days, I just wanted to say that I'm alive and well!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Stay On Plan
I've been schooled.
For the past week, I've counted every "Point Plus" that I put in my mouth. I know... that's generally what you are SUPPOSED to do; but I hadn't been doing it until then. I haven't counted points in a couple months!!!
This week, I usually used up my daily points, and I also had some left from my flex points. I ate some serious crap. Coldstone ice cream, three pieces of pizza one night for dinner, McDonalds for dinner (TWICE)... along with other crap.
So what happened? I'm down another 1.2 lbs!!!!
It just goes to show me that Weight Watchers knows what it's talkin' about. I didn't even really exercise this week; but I think the thing that helped was that I had meals for breakfast and lunch all planned out and packed for work. Also... I had my oatmeal for LUNCH every day instead of breakfast. Perhaps this is a breakthough.
Every day, I ate fruit for breakfast. Nothin' else. That's a zero point meal!!! I got to the office and munched on at least two apples a day, along with oranges, strawberries, cherries, and grapes. Lunch every day was overnight oats.
I mixed 1 cup of plain yogurt with 1/2 cup of dried oatmeal, along with about half a cup of skim milk, a little vanilla, chopped up dried cherries, and walnuts. I let it soak overnight, then brought it to work; when lunch came along, I tossed in a packet of splenda for sweetness and ate it along with a generous portion of carrots and celery. This kept me FULL all afternoon at work; I usually get the munchies at about 2:00 pm, but it didn't happen!
Now I know that I need to buckle down. If I can lose over a pound eating the way I did, then I can lose MORE if I just cut it down to one or two "major indulgences" a week.
Also... I saw Studio 8 last night in the theater. It was GREAT!!! Kept me on the edge of my lil' seat.
Today, Husband is working at the zoo. This means that Amy gets to run errands, clean the apartment, and jam to some old school Bon Jovi all day. The fatter, more unhappy Amy would have seen this plan as a horrible thing. I'm actually looking forward to it. I can dance around and burn a little bit more off while I work!!!
For the past week, I've counted every "Point Plus" that I put in my mouth. I know... that's generally what you are SUPPOSED to do; but I hadn't been doing it until then. I haven't counted points in a couple months!!!
This week, I usually used up my daily points, and I also had some left from my flex points. I ate some serious crap. Coldstone ice cream, three pieces of pizza one night for dinner, McDonalds for dinner (TWICE)... along with other crap.
So what happened? I'm down another 1.2 lbs!!!!
It just goes to show me that Weight Watchers knows what it's talkin' about. I didn't even really exercise this week; but I think the thing that helped was that I had meals for breakfast and lunch all planned out and packed for work. Also... I had my oatmeal for LUNCH every day instead of breakfast. Perhaps this is a breakthough.
Every day, I ate fruit for breakfast. Nothin' else. That's a zero point meal!!! I got to the office and munched on at least two apples a day, along with oranges, strawberries, cherries, and grapes. Lunch every day was overnight oats.
I mixed 1 cup of plain yogurt with 1/2 cup of dried oatmeal, along with about half a cup of skim milk, a little vanilla, chopped up dried cherries, and walnuts. I let it soak overnight, then brought it to work; when lunch came along, I tossed in a packet of splenda for sweetness and ate it along with a generous portion of carrots and celery. This kept me FULL all afternoon at work; I usually get the munchies at about 2:00 pm, but it didn't happen!
Now I know that I need to buckle down. If I can lose over a pound eating the way I did, then I can lose MORE if I just cut it down to one or two "major indulgences" a week.
Also... I saw Studio 8 last night in the theater. It was GREAT!!! Kept me on the edge of my lil' seat.
Today, Husband is working at the zoo. This means that Amy gets to run errands, clean the apartment, and jam to some old school Bon Jovi all day. The fatter, more unhappy Amy would have seen this plan as a horrible thing. I'm actually looking forward to it. I can dance around and burn a little bit more off while I work!!!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Paleo = IBS Fail.
Nix the paleo diet off the list... it wreaked havoc on my system this past week. I think it's all of the meat that did it. And also, Amy Jo needs her oats. She dudn't feel whole without her oats. So, the plan is eat a produce heavy diet that fits within my Points Plus for Weight Watchers. I seem to do better when I'm eating less meat and more beans, lentils, yogurt, etc.
Today was 93 degrees. Michigan should not be 93 degrees in the beginning of June. I haven't any A/C.... so I spent my evening sitting in front of the fan, wondering if I should put a bowl of ice behind it to cool the air!
Eats for the day?
3 apples
an orange
a cucumber
2 carrots with hummus
oatmeal with dried cherries and walnuts
roasted broccoli
sauteed zucchini
a pork chop
Points-wise, I am low for the day; but I have really just been grazing all day and haven't felt hungry! I've decided that I'm not going to force myself to eat more if my points are low and I'm feeling satisfied. My body must be telling me something!
Today was 93 degrees. Michigan should not be 93 degrees in the beginning of June. I haven't any A/C.... so I spent my evening sitting in front of the fan, wondering if I should put a bowl of ice behind it to cool the air!
Eats for the day?
3 apples
an orange
a cucumber
2 carrots with hummus
oatmeal with dried cherries and walnuts
roasted broccoli
sauteed zucchini
a pork chop
Points-wise, I am low for the day; but I have really just been grazing all day and haven't felt hungry! I've decided that I'm not going to force myself to eat more if my points are low and I'm feeling satisfied. My body must be telling me something!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Weight Loss' Biggest Enemy? A CRUISE.
I won't go into detail here.
Okay, I will.
Tacos. Fried chicken. Midnight chocolate buffets. Pina coladas at 9:00 in the morning. Fish n' Chips. Beignets in New Orleans. Authentic Honduran beer. A 24 hour buffet with anything your heart could ever desire.
Did I eat a single salad on that cruise? No. Did I hit the world class gym even once? Nope.
So what DID I do?
I swam. I zip lined through the rainforest in Belize. I tubed through a cave system with one of those helmets with lights on them. I held onto the fins of a dolphin and rode it across a pool. I hiked up and down hills to get to the Mayan Chacchoben ruins. I did a little snuba (scuba/snorkeling). I walked through open air markets. I laughed my arse off every night at shows like the Newlyweds, or hilariously inappropriate stand up comedians. I got my long hair braided from root to tip. In New Orleans, I drank a Hurricane with 190 proof liquor in it... then proceeded to enter a strip club for the first time. Yes, those are definitely linked. Needless to say, Husband likes it when Amy drinks hurricanes. I happened across the coolest bar in the world; an open air bar with a band playing covers of U2, Journey, and Bon Jovi. I was tipsy enough that I was singing and dancing without a care in the world; but not too tipsy to forget a single moment of it. I met the most interesting people on our ship. I came clean with my husband about my love affair with Paul Bettany (okay... mayhaps it is one sided). I met a dirty man named Dan on Bourbon Street who proceeded to show us around and introduce us to the ghost that resides in Muriel's restaurant.
I gained 7 lbs. But you know what? The cruise director SAID people gain an average of a pound a day on a cruise. So I'm just average.... ;)
What's done is done. I honestly wouldn't change it for the world. I had a BLAST. I felt strong, and healthy, and pretty darn confident in my lil' cotton dresses. It helped that we were traveling around central America... my husband was quick to point out that hispanics like to admire my generous backside. Does feeling good about that make me a bad person? Because I'm sorry, but I haven't had men besides my husband admire me for my BODY in a very, very, very long time.
I have IBS. Crap. Thanks, doc. He put me on a new prescription that's been helping a lot. I'm also, however, fooling around with my diet to see what eating plan helps my IBS symptoms the most. Right now I'm playing around with a paleo diet. Here is what I bought at the store this week for my new eating plan:
chicken breast, bacon, pork cutlets, round steak, tilapia, eggs, asparagus, zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, broccoli, celery, artichokes, red peppers, cherries, strawberries, apples, oranges, yellow rasberries, watermelon, almonds, walnuts, olive oil, ghee.
My doctor said that he's seen people do well with opposite ends of the spectrum; some IBS sufferers find that vegan diets suit them best. Some find that low carb, high fat diets help. We'll see!!!
Aside from having to return to reality, life is good. SCHOOL IS OUT!!! That means that I am managing to work 40 hours a week, AND keep up with my housework! Amy is a happy girl when she wakes up in the morning to a clean apartment.
I think I'll post some pictures of our lil' vacay for you all to drool over. Yes, the Caribbean is glorious.
Okay, I will.
Tacos. Fried chicken. Midnight chocolate buffets. Pina coladas at 9:00 in the morning. Fish n' Chips. Beignets in New Orleans. Authentic Honduran beer. A 24 hour buffet with anything your heart could ever desire.
Did I eat a single salad on that cruise? No. Did I hit the world class gym even once? Nope.
So what DID I do?
I swam. I zip lined through the rainforest in Belize. I tubed through a cave system with one of those helmets with lights on them. I held onto the fins of a dolphin and rode it across a pool. I hiked up and down hills to get to the Mayan Chacchoben ruins. I did a little snuba (scuba/snorkeling). I walked through open air markets. I laughed my arse off every night at shows like the Newlyweds, or hilariously inappropriate stand up comedians. I got my long hair braided from root to tip. In New Orleans, I drank a Hurricane with 190 proof liquor in it... then proceeded to enter a strip club for the first time. Yes, those are definitely linked. Needless to say, Husband likes it when Amy drinks hurricanes. I happened across the coolest bar in the world; an open air bar with a band playing covers of U2, Journey, and Bon Jovi. I was tipsy enough that I was singing and dancing without a care in the world; but not too tipsy to forget a single moment of it. I met the most interesting people on our ship. I came clean with my husband about my love affair with Paul Bettany (okay... mayhaps it is one sided). I met a dirty man named Dan on Bourbon Street who proceeded to show us around and introduce us to the ghost that resides in Muriel's restaurant.
I gained 7 lbs. But you know what? The cruise director SAID people gain an average of a pound a day on a cruise. So I'm just average.... ;)
What's done is done. I honestly wouldn't change it for the world. I had a BLAST. I felt strong, and healthy, and pretty darn confident in my lil' cotton dresses. It helped that we were traveling around central America... my husband was quick to point out that hispanics like to admire my generous backside. Does feeling good about that make me a bad person? Because I'm sorry, but I haven't had men besides my husband admire me for my BODY in a very, very, very long time.
I have IBS. Crap. Thanks, doc. He put me on a new prescription that's been helping a lot. I'm also, however, fooling around with my diet to see what eating plan helps my IBS symptoms the most. Right now I'm playing around with a paleo diet. Here is what I bought at the store this week for my new eating plan:
chicken breast, bacon, pork cutlets, round steak, tilapia, eggs, asparagus, zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, broccoli, celery, artichokes, red peppers, cherries, strawberries, apples, oranges, yellow rasberries, watermelon, almonds, walnuts, olive oil, ghee.
My doctor said that he's seen people do well with opposite ends of the spectrum; some IBS sufferers find that vegan diets suit them best. Some find that low carb, high fat diets help. We'll see!!!
Aside from having to return to reality, life is good. SCHOOL IS OUT!!! That means that I am managing to work 40 hours a week, AND keep up with my housework! Amy is a happy girl when she wakes up in the morning to a clean apartment.
I think I'll post some pictures of our lil' vacay for you all to drool over. Yes, the Caribbean is glorious.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Goal Achieved.
I am typing in between laundry, packing, shopping, and cleaning. Why? Because tomorrow at 4:00 am we are going to the airport. That's right; our cruise is finally here! The semester is over. I don't have to return to the office until May 17.
And I weigh 204 lbs.
That is what I weighed when I traveled to Malaysia in 2009, during a break from teaching in China. I felt confident on that beach. I laid out in the sunshine. I snorkeled. I felt good. It's what I weighed when I returned from China in 2010. And although I originally set a goal of 180 lbs by tomorrow, I feel good about reaching 204 lbs. It's been an incredibly hard year. Between working 40-50 hours a week, taking four college courses, and trying to keep a marriage healthy, a household moving, and staying healthy, I've struggled. I've made do with an average of 4-5 hours of sleep a night. Over the last month, I've only lost a few pounds; but this Christmas, I was back up to 229 lbs. Today, I am 25 lbs lighter.
Do you hate the beach because you can't find a suit that makes you feel good about yourself? Check out Cyberswim.com. I spend a buttload of money on a Miracle Suit; and I feel like a frikkin' pin-up girl.
Here is the Rialto suit, in Eggplant.

http://www.cyberswim.com/productDetail.jsp?prdId=68460_2011&catId=catMissesSwimwear&removeAllFacet=true&addFacet=1004:catMissesSwimwear
It's stunning. And I'm stunning. And I am SOO excited to wear it!!
Things are good on the home front. I have no classes this summer; and I plan on getting in lots of exercise, lots of fresh produce, and lots of cooking. Hubby and I are doing great; so I plan on getting in lots of romance. I plan on sitting at the park across from our apartment and reading in the sunshine.
Well, I'm off; gotta get my eyebrows waxed and my split ends snipped!!
And I weigh 204 lbs.
That is what I weighed when I traveled to Malaysia in 2009, during a break from teaching in China. I felt confident on that beach. I laid out in the sunshine. I snorkeled. I felt good. It's what I weighed when I returned from China in 2010. And although I originally set a goal of 180 lbs by tomorrow, I feel good about reaching 204 lbs. It's been an incredibly hard year. Between working 40-50 hours a week, taking four college courses, and trying to keep a marriage healthy, a household moving, and staying healthy, I've struggled. I've made do with an average of 4-5 hours of sleep a night. Over the last month, I've only lost a few pounds; but this Christmas, I was back up to 229 lbs. Today, I am 25 lbs lighter.
Do you hate the beach because you can't find a suit that makes you feel good about yourself? Check out Cyberswim.com. I spend a buttload of money on a Miracle Suit; and I feel like a frikkin' pin-up girl.
Here is the Rialto suit, in Eggplant.

http://www.cyberswim.com/productDetail.jsp?prdId=68460_2011&catId=catMissesSwimwear&removeAllFacet=true&addFacet=1004:catMissesSwimwear
It's stunning. And I'm stunning. And I am SOO excited to wear it!!
Things are good on the home front. I have no classes this summer; and I plan on getting in lots of exercise, lots of fresh produce, and lots of cooking. Hubby and I are doing great; so I plan on getting in lots of romance. I plan on sitting at the park across from our apartment and reading in the sunshine.
Well, I'm off; gotta get my eyebrows waxed and my split ends snipped!!
Friday, April 8, 2011
The Cats Are Playing Tricks!
My cats are scheming, I think.
Last night, I took a good, long, hot shower. Hubby was gone. I was singing away, eyes clothes, lathering the shampoo into my hair, and suddenly something LUNGED INTO ME. I screamed. I slipped. I did an awkward slow-motion slide/fall into the wall. Soap was in the eyes. Claws were in my flesh. My cat was frantically flying around the tub trying to find a way out around the shower curtain.
Never again will I forget to latch that bathroom door securely.
THEN, last night, I woke up and felt a lifeless body next to me. My two kitties ALWAYS sleep at my feet. And also, to set up the background story, my friend had just told me a story today about a friend of hers who lost her precious baby to SIDS. Now, I am not a mother, and to lose a child to SIDS has to be one of the most tragic things in the world; I mean no disrespect to those who have gone through that horrible situation. I am, however, just making it clear that that was already weighing heavily on my mind all day. I felt in the dark and my hands felt a lifeless little furry body, laying on it's back with it's legs limp and splayed. I rubbed her belly. I flapped her back legs around. I shook her and started squealing and yelling at her. Nothing. I was sure my lil' wildcat was gone. I flew over to the light switch, turned it on, and looked at the bed. She lazily lifted her head, looked at me, and then ran out the door. Cruel.
Anyway, my weekly update! I was wholeheartedly expecting a gain this week. I had ice cream. Yesterday, I had a huge apple dumpling. I ate fried potatoes.
The verdict? A 2.4 lb loss!! That puts me at 208.5. 4.5 more lbs, and I'll be back at my "returned from China" weight!
I should give myself credit, though. I ate Fiber One cereal everyday with fruit and almond milk. Lunches were salads or vegan brown rice/bean/cheese burritos and raw veggies. Dinners were mostly spaghetti squash, omelettes, baked chicken, lentil soup.... good stuff. I just snacked poorly.
Anywho, I have been running myself ragged all week. Finals in a couple weeks; I have tons of projects and papers to write. I'm going to NOT DO MORE TONIGHT. I'm ready to settle into a bubble bath with my laptop playing an episode of Army Wives.
Last night, I took a good, long, hot shower. Hubby was gone. I was singing away, eyes clothes, lathering the shampoo into my hair, and suddenly something LUNGED INTO ME. I screamed. I slipped. I did an awkward slow-motion slide/fall into the wall. Soap was in the eyes. Claws were in my flesh. My cat was frantically flying around the tub trying to find a way out around the shower curtain.
Never again will I forget to latch that bathroom door securely.
THEN, last night, I woke up and felt a lifeless body next to me. My two kitties ALWAYS sleep at my feet. And also, to set up the background story, my friend had just told me a story today about a friend of hers who lost her precious baby to SIDS. Now, I am not a mother, and to lose a child to SIDS has to be one of the most tragic things in the world; I mean no disrespect to those who have gone through that horrible situation. I am, however, just making it clear that that was already weighing heavily on my mind all day. I felt in the dark and my hands felt a lifeless little furry body, laying on it's back with it's legs limp and splayed. I rubbed her belly. I flapped her back legs around. I shook her and started squealing and yelling at her. Nothing. I was sure my lil' wildcat was gone. I flew over to the light switch, turned it on, and looked at the bed. She lazily lifted her head, looked at me, and then ran out the door. Cruel.
Anyway, my weekly update! I was wholeheartedly expecting a gain this week. I had ice cream. Yesterday, I had a huge apple dumpling. I ate fried potatoes.
The verdict? A 2.4 lb loss!! That puts me at 208.5. 4.5 more lbs, and I'll be back at my "returned from China" weight!
I should give myself credit, though. I ate Fiber One cereal everyday with fruit and almond milk. Lunches were salads or vegan brown rice/bean/cheese burritos and raw veggies. Dinners were mostly spaghetti squash, omelettes, baked chicken, lentil soup.... good stuff. I just snacked poorly.
Anywho, I have been running myself ragged all week. Finals in a couple weeks; I have tons of projects and papers to write. I'm going to NOT DO MORE TONIGHT. I'm ready to settle into a bubble bath with my laptop playing an episode of Army Wives.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
One more month!
If I can just survive for one more month, the craziness of this schedule will be over; and I'll be on my way to the Caribbean!
One thing that I'd like to do once classes end is blog more. I don't have time to read all of the blogs I follow, and I have even less time to comment. It's no wonder I talk to my lonesome here all the time; I don't do my part! All relationships, including bloggie ones, go two ways. I'm excited to put some more time into things here, make new friends, learn from others, and find another source of strength.
I've changed my WW meetings to fridays during my lunch at work. Two other women in my office go, so I wanted to find some people to go through the journey with. I never updated on friday, but I'm another 2 lbs down! That's 12 lbs since I started. It's not what I'd originally hoped, but I've realized how happy I am moving at the pace I'm going. It isn't even that difficult. I weighed in at 210.8 this week. Hopefully, we'll get down another 2 lbs this week!
Food had been good. This week I switched up my breakfasts. Instead of oatmeal every day, I had Fiber One with blueberries and almond milk. It is seriously like dessert to me; I am realizing that breakfast just might be my favorite meal of the day!
I've also realized the amazingness of Costco. I loaded up this week on convenience foods to get me through the next month; laughing cow wedges, arnold's thins, organic frozen burritos (with brown rice!), hummus, lots of veggies, cereal, almond butter, yogurt.... it was amazing.
This week I ate a lot of produce. I nursed a huge pot of veggie soup all week, along with raw carrots, celery, broccoli, and green beans, baked chicken breast, burritos, cereal, pink lady apples, greek yogurt, spaghetti squash, lentils... deliciousness.
Anyway, I've gotta come up with a constitutional amendment and write 10 pages supporting it. Geesh.
One thing that I'd like to do once classes end is blog more. I don't have time to read all of the blogs I follow, and I have even less time to comment. It's no wonder I talk to my lonesome here all the time; I don't do my part! All relationships, including bloggie ones, go two ways. I'm excited to put some more time into things here, make new friends, learn from others, and find another source of strength.
I've changed my WW meetings to fridays during my lunch at work. Two other women in my office go, so I wanted to find some people to go through the journey with. I never updated on friday, but I'm another 2 lbs down! That's 12 lbs since I started. It's not what I'd originally hoped, but I've realized how happy I am moving at the pace I'm going. It isn't even that difficult. I weighed in at 210.8 this week. Hopefully, we'll get down another 2 lbs this week!
Food had been good. This week I switched up my breakfasts. Instead of oatmeal every day, I had Fiber One with blueberries and almond milk. It is seriously like dessert to me; I am realizing that breakfast just might be my favorite meal of the day!
I've also realized the amazingness of Costco. I loaded up this week on convenience foods to get me through the next month; laughing cow wedges, arnold's thins, organic frozen burritos (with brown rice!), hummus, lots of veggies, cereal, almond butter, yogurt.... it was amazing.
This week I ate a lot of produce. I nursed a huge pot of veggie soup all week, along with raw carrots, celery, broccoli, and green beans, baked chicken breast, burritos, cereal, pink lady apples, greek yogurt, spaghetti squash, lentils... deliciousness.
Anyway, I've gotta come up with a constitutional amendment and write 10 pages supporting it. Geesh.
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